Coming of Age in the United States

Milton Friedman said it best, “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.“ Why must this quip ring so true in our hearts and in our minds? Is it because there is a subtle call to action engendered in his word choice? Maybe so, but lend me a moment so I can explain the millennial point of view.

My generation is not keen on the term abundance. It was ripped from our vocabulary and replaced with peak oil, endangered species, and drought. Thomas Malthus also had something to do with it, but the point remains the same. Our government of the people, by the people, and for the people is not very thrifty at all.

Coming of age in the United States has taught me, more than anything, to be a minimalist. The immense pressure to covet the finer things in life is a sales pitch that falls flat on millennials. We know all too well that the spoils of today may not always replenish the stocks of tomorrow.